[AT] MF 1135

Thu Dec 11 16:46:24 PST 2008

I had a 1973 or 74 MF1155 for about 15 years. bought it in 1983 with 750 
hours on it for $4000. It liked diesel.  The PTO never worked.  I tore 
into it and the snap ring that held the fluid shift PTO clutch hub on 
was never installed.  MF salesman fixed that after I embarrassed him at 
a farm show.  If you did not use the 3 point lift regularly the control 
valve would stick and you had to pull the top deck to get to it.  Took 
about 6 hours and a lot of lift.  I built a lift to pull the top deck. 
The main problem I had with it was my 80 yr old father.  It had so much 
power he was afraid of it.  he found every excuse to tear it up.  I 
might add that the front axle rocking bolster was worn out also.  You 
have to keep them greased.  It also sheared the splines out of the front 
pulley on the engine. The hydraulic system got low trans and hydraulics 
together because the cylinder Dad was using had a leak.  He kept adding 
oil.  However, he would not read the label on the oil barrel and found a 
barrel of Lathe way oil I had bought at a bargain.  At the time this 
stuff was $15 a gallon.  Transdraulic was $2 a gallon.  He used up the 
entire barrel in that tractor and it screwed up the hydraulic system so 
bad that it would have taken 2 weeks in the shop to correct it.  The 
MF1100 series had 3 hydraulic pumps.  I would have had to clean out 
every line and pump and change out the o rings as he poured in a pint of 
brake fluid to "fix" the problem.  He was retired, but he did not have 
"time" to go get the right oil.....

It was the only tractor we had with a cab.  I loved it the day he bought 
it at a sale. It needed the seat re-bushed. and when Dad drove it in the 
field it was too rough, and he bitched about it being too rough to ride 
no matter what I did.....

He sold it to a Mexican to take to Mexico for $4500 and gave the guy who 
sold it $500...

I now have a 2-105 white with the 354 6cyl turbo perkins.  I cut off the 
bottom step of the tractor so he can't get up into it.  That is the only 
way I can keep a tractor..  He tore up 3 tractors mowing with a 6t ft 
brush hog.

Guess you guys struck a nerve about the old 1155.  I really liked MF 
tractors, I worked on them since I was 13 years old.  Now, when I have 
the time to work with them, I have someone around here who just tries to 
tear things up to watch me fix them...  Then the neighbors tell me how 
lucky I am to have his help.....

Cecil in OKla

charliehill wrote:
> Yep,  I wanted it bad!  When I was in my 20's and wishing I could figure out 
> some way to get back into farming that was my dream tractor.  I drooled over 
> it in the farm magazine ads many times.  It came with an optional "stadium 
> lighting package" which consisted of about 6 or 8 huge flood and spot lights 
> on the top of the cab facing both forward and backwards.  The one at the 
> sale I went to had the lighting package too but some of the lights were torn 
> up or rusted.  That was the only thing visable wrong with that tractor 
> except for a crack in one section of the exhause manifold.  The part to fix 
> that is about $125.00
> 
> I went back to the sale late in the afternoon and it was gone.  All of the 
> JD tractors, 6 or more, were still sitting there but the AC was gone.  I 
> figure someone in the neighborhood bought and drove it on home.  The sale 
> was about 11 miles from my farm.  That would have been one happy trip for 
> me!  LOL.  If it's around the neighborhood I'll find it again one of these 
> days.
> 
> Charlie
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Al Jones" <farmallsupera at earthlink.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 6:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] MF 1135
> 
> 
>> An 8060 was a BIG tractor wasn't it?  I have a cousin with an 8030.  I got
>> to run it a time or two in high school.  The powershift wsa a little goofy
>> (downshifted to 4th if you mashed the clutch in 5th or 6th gear) but the
>> cab was really nice I thought and that series of Allis's were sharp 
>> looking
>> I thought.
>>
>> For 5000 somebody got some mighty cheap horsepower.
>>
>> Al
>>
>>
>>> [Original Message]
>>> From: charliehill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>> Date: 12/11/2008 5:50:43 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [AT] MF 1135
>>>
>>> I agree Al.  Although I like the looks of that tractor it doesn't sound
>> like
>>> a good deal to me.  I went to a sale 3 weeks ago where a 81 model 8060
>> Allis
>>> Chalmers with 3033 hours on it, 20 speed power shift, cab with air and a
>> set
>>> of duals sold for $5000.00.  The tractor was clean and straight.  All of
>> the
>>> glass in the cab was clean, not cracked or scratched and the orriginal
>>> upholstery was still on the seat with only one cigarette hole in the
>> fabric
>>> and a bit dirty.  If work wasn't so slow and I had the extra cash in the
>>> bank it would have gone to my farm even thought I don't have one single
>>> thing to pull behind it.  I left the sale early to keep myself from
>> bidding
>>> on it.
>>>
>>> Charlie
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Al Jones" <farmallsupera at earthlink.net>
>>> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:24 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [AT] MF 1135
>>>
>>>
>>>> Now, you should know that I am not a big MF fan. So I should qualify
>> that
>>>> right to start with.  I will say in MF's defense that their smaller,
>>>> 135-size tractors, and the 200 series that replaced them in the 70's 
>>>> and
>>>> 80's were solid and popular. Lots of 399's and 383's around too that
>> seem
>>>> to do a resonably good job. But, as far as anything of that vintage
>> above
>>>> 80 HP, I would say without hesitation:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> RUN AWAY!!!! RUN AWAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> AS Charlie said, I haven't heard a lot good about the V8 Perkins.  For
>> the
>>>> price they are asking, I would look for a 1066 IH.  I'd rather take my
>>>> chances with the torque amplifier than with the V8 and iffy MF big
>> tractor
>>>> transmissions.  The IH engines are top-notch and cheaper to replace or
>>>> work
>>>> on, and if the TA is bad, put a straight shaft in it and you will still
>>>> have 8 forward speeds.
>>>>
>>>> My opinion.
>>>> Al
>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "Len Rugen" <rugenl at yahoo.com>
>>>>> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
>>>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 1:24 PM
>>>>> Subject: [AT] MF 1135
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Local dealer has a MF 1135, asking $8700 with 7900 hours.  Did these
>>>>>> have any major design problems?
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